276 



SCIENCE. 



[>f. S. VoL.XXIII. No. 5S1. 



whose mouth can be closed by a screw when 

 the instrument is being carried. 



E. DeC. Ward. 



A COLORADO SCHOOL OF FORESTRY. 



Through the generosity of Gen. William J. 

 Palmer and Dr. Wm. A. Bell, of Colorado 

 Springs, Colorado College is to have a School 

 of Forestry. These two gentlemen, who take 

 great interest in forestry, have given to the 

 college the beautiful tract of land known as 

 Manitou Park, with its 15,000 acres of forest, 

 haylands and lakes. A conservative estimate 

 places the value of this gift at $150,000. 



The park is twenty-five miles northwest of 

 Colorado Springs on a plateau, 7,550 feet above 

 sea level. The climate and soil are typical of 

 the mountains. Many years ago the whole 

 tract was deforested, but at present there is 

 a fine new growth of conifers. In 6very re- 

 spect it offers excellent opportunity for field 

 work and the practical study of silviculture 

 and forest botany. The theoretical and lec- 

 ture courses in this new department will be 

 given at Colorado College. The new science 

 building completed in 1903, with its modern 

 and well-equipped laboratories makes possible 

 the study and research which this new move- 

 ment entails. 



No better location could be found for such 

 a school than Colorado College. Situated at 

 the foot of Pikes Peak, where the Rocky 

 Mountains touch the arid plains, it affords 

 fine opportunities for the study of irrigation, 

 as well as of forestry problems. The whole 

 irrigation problem must, in the last analysis, 

 be determined by the forest coverings of the 

 mountains, for the mountains are the natural 

 sources of water supply for the plains. Where 

 they are denuded of forest, they can not hold 

 water; rain and the snow water rush off in 

 torrents that can not be utilized. The forest 

 covering equalizes the water supply of the 

 plains by restraining the water, allowing it 

 to flow down slowly and gradually so that it 

 can be properly distributed. The Pikes Peak 

 forest reserve is also near; here the central 

 government has established three nurseries 

 to provide trees for the reforesting of denuded 

 slopes. On Pikes Peak and other near-by 



mountains are found a great variety of cli- 

 mates, from the arctic-alpine down to the 

 more temperate. 



The establishment of this School of Forestry 

 means much for the Rocky Mountain region. 

 It is said that the first settlers in the state 

 of Colorado found 36,000 square miles of 

 forest area covered with various kinds of 

 valuable pines and spruces. Since that time 

 30,000 square miles of the virgin forests of the 

 state have been destroyed. Evidence intro- 

 duced in the Kansas-Colorado water suit 

 showed that the cutting away of the forests 

 on the mountain sides has greatly decreased 

 the amount of water available for irrigation. 

 Ilie influence of the school will do much 

 toward checking this waste and establishing 

 better economic conditions. 



Professor Gifford Pinchot, forester, IT. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, has agTeed to 

 nominate a man to act as head of this new 

 department of Colorado College, which will 

 be opened next September. 



THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ILLINOIS. 



The State Geological Commission, at its 

 meeting at Springfield last week, completed 

 the corps and arranged for the season's work. 

 The following appointments were made to the 

 regular force, and in addition the director was 

 authorized to make such temporary appoint- 

 ments as might be necessary, subject to con- 

 firmation at a succeeding meeting of the com- 

 mission. 



Professor C. W. Kolfe, of the State University, 

 consulting geologist in clay work. 



Professor R. D. Salisburj', of the University of 

 Chicago, consulting geologist, in charge of educa- 

 tional work. 



Dr. U. S. Grant, of Northwestern University, 

 consulting geologist in lead and zinc work. 



Professor S. W. Parr, of the State University, 

 consulting chemist in coal work. 



Dr. Edward Bartow, director of the State Water 

 Survey, consulting chemist in water work. 



Mr. F. B. Van Horn, recently of the Missouri 

 Geological Survey, assistant geologist. 



Mr. F. F. Grout, recently of the West Virginia 

 Geological Survey, assistant chemist. 



Mr. H. B. Fox, of the State University, as- 

 sistant geologist. 



